Think about the last time someone encouraged you. No really. Think about it. Stop reading for just 5 seconds and think about it. (I’m only going on about it because I know that I never do what I’m told to do when I’m reading it). But JUST DO IT. Ok. Now how did you feel? I think that being encouraged is probably one of the best possible feelings that you could ever have. I’m sure sex tops it, but I wouldn’t know.
Now, think about the last time someone put you down. Seriously, think about a specific instance. THINK ABOUT IT! Now how did you feel? It’s possible that one of the worst feelings in life is an insult or words that put you down. You always feel the need to validate or defend yourself. You may go shy, or really start to question yourself.
Why is it that words hold SO MUCH POWER? The more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is. I keep every encouraging e-mail, or letter, or card I get from people. Sometimes I go back and read them and it makes my day. Maybe it’s my pride and I love to revel in who I am, which would be pretty steep, but I think it’s more than that. When you are encouraged, you feel like people care, love you and are paying attention. That’s an important feeling. Sure we have this all the time from God, but sometimes (maybe this was Adam’s problem, and why Eve was created) it’s nice to hear it from other people.
Think about something else. How do you feel when someone who you think knows you forgets your name? How do you feel when someone that you don’t think knows you actually knows your name? Pretty difference of feelings isn’t it? It’s amazing what paying attention to someone and giving them the respect of a human being can to do someone’s self esteem. Celeste Holm says that “We live by encouragement and die without it — slowly, sadly, angrily.” I know how awesome I feel when someone compliments me and encourages me and I want everyone to feel that way.
Everyone wants to feel appreciated. One person said that “There are two things people want more than sex and money — praise and recognition.” I’m not writing this so I can wake up in the morning and get an inbox full of e-mails that will make my head burst. I want you to encourage someone else. Think of a few people today, right now, that you adore, anyone at all, or maybe someone that you think would appreciate or could use some encouragement and send them an e-mail. It’s that simple. I try to make it a weekly practice of mine to send out e-mails to people I haven’t talked to in a while because I know how much it can help someone else.
Do that for someone today. Take the challenge. Send someone an e-mail, it takes less than a minute and encourage them somehow.
Most of the high spots in our lives come about through encouragement. I don’t care how great, how famous, how successful a man may be, he hungers for applause.
— Anonymous
Celebrate what you want to see more of.
— Tom Peters
One of the commodities in life that most people can’t get enough of is compliments. The ego is never so in-tact that one can’t find a hole in which to plug a little praise. But compliments by their very nature are highly biodegradable and tend to dissolve hours or days after we receive them — which is why we can always use another.
— Phyllis Theroux
“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world”.
“The finest gift you can give anyone is encouragement. Yet, almost no one gets the encouragement they need to grow to their full potential. If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow, the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance beyond the wildest dreams.”
“The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you”